IRLF 


THE    REFERENCE 
DEPARTMENT 


BY 

E.  C.  RICHARDSON 


PREPRINT  OP 

MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 
CHAPTER  XXII 


American  lib r TO  &6gociati<m  JJufclifilnng;  iSoartJ 

78  E.  WASHINGTON  ST.,  CHICAGO 
1911 


A.  L.  A.  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Chap.     I.  "American  Library  History,"  by  C.  K.  BOLTON. 
II.  "The  Library  of  Congress,"  by  W.  W.  BISHOP. 

IV.  "The  College  and  University  Library,"  by  J.  I. 
WYER,  JR. 

XVII.  "Order  and  Accessions  Department,"  by  F.   F. 
HOPPER. 

XXII.  "Reference  Department,"  by  E.  C.  RICHARDSON. 
XXVI.  "Bookbinding,"  by  A.  L.  BAILEY. 

The  above  chapters  are  each  printed  in  a  separate  pamphlet. 
Price  10  cents  each. 

Projected  chapters  now  in  preparation  are  as  follows: 
"Loan  Department";  "Branches  and  Other  Distributing 
Agencies";  "Pamphlets,  Clippings,  Maps,  Music";  "Book 
Selection";  " Classification ";  "Commissions,  State  Aid  and 
State  Agencies";  ''Work  with  the i  Blind";  "Library  Service"; 
"State  Libraries";  "Fixtures,  Furniture.  Fittings  and  Sup- 
plies"; " Free  Public  Libraries ";  f: Catalog";  "Shelf  Depart- 
ment"; "Museums,  Art  Galleries,  Lectures";  "Public  Docu- 
ments"; "Library  Training";  " Special  Libraries ";  "Adminis- 
tration"; "Bibliography";  "Public  Library  and  Public 
Schools";  "Library  Work  with  Children";  "Legislation"; 
"Buildings." 


XXII 
THE  REFERENCE  DEPARTMENT 

E.  C.  RICHARDSON 
Princeton  University  Library 

The  reference  department  of  a  library  is  that  part  of  its 
organization  which  has  to  do  with  the  use  of  material  within 
the  library  building,  as  distinguished  from  home  use.  In 
the  broad  sense  it  includes,  at  any  given  time,  all  material  not 
loaned  out  at  that  time.  In  its  narrower  sense,  it  includes 
books  made  for  reference  or  set  apart  for  reference,  either  per- 
manently or  temporarily.  Permanent  reference  books  include 
quick  reference  collections,  restricted  books,  manuscripts, 
maps,  engravings,  documents,  bound  periodicals,  and  what- 
ever else  is  not  commonly  loaned  out,  as  "standard"  libraries, 
" seminar"  libraries,  and  special  collections  of  all  sorts  when 
restricted  to  library  use.  Temporary  reference  collections 
include  current  periodicals,  reserved  collections  on  timely  topics, 
books  reserved  for  essays,  clubs,  debates,  and  the  like.  Special 
selections  of  loan  books  intended  to  serve  a  reference  use  when 
not  in  circulation,  open  shelf  collections,  children's  libraries 
and  standard  libraries,  even  when  their  books  are  allowed  to 
circulate,  serve  a  reference  purpose  when  they  are  not  in  cir- 
culation. 

I.      DEFINITION   OF   THE   REFERENCE   BOOK 

In  its  narrower  sense  a  reference  book  is  one  made  for  refer- 
ence use  as  distinguished  from  reading  use:  in  its  broader  sense 
it  is  any  book  that  is  used  for  reference. 

Books  are  used  for  two  purposes,  reading  and  reference. 
Reading  implies  extended  use;  reference,  selective  use.  The 
reference  book  is  therefore  simply  one  used  for  consultation 


251689 


6F'Li»kARY  ECONOMY 

rather  tliati  fo'r  reading  through:  •*  It  is  not  so  much  a  kind  of 
book  as  a  kind  of  use  for  any  book  and  when  the  book  is  used 
for  that  purpose  it  is  a  reference  book.  While  some  books 
are  used  for  reading,  some  for  reference  and  many  are  made 
chiefly  for  the  one  or  the  other  use,  there  is  a  reference  use 
even  for  poetry  and  fiction  and  a  small  reading  use  even  for 
dictionaries,  while  a  very  large  number  of  books  are  used  in 
either  way  equally  often  and  well.  The  book  made  for  refer- 
ence, being  arranged  with  explicit  view  to  ease  and  rapidity 
in  finding  specific  facts,  is  the  true  reference  book. 

By  the  nature  of  the  use  it  comes  to  pass  that  the  book 
intended  for  reference  use  in  a  library  is  withheld  from  circu- 
lation. Reading  use  is  continuous,  reference  use  occasional. 
In  library  work  the  former  calls,  on  the  average,  for  exclusive 
use  by  one  person  for  a  long  time,  while  reference  use  calls 
for  successive  use  by  many  persons  each  for  a  short  time  only; 
the  one  involves  the  consecutive  use  of  a  few  books,  the  other 
the  almost  simultaneous  use  of  many  books.  On  an  average 
the  reading  book  may,  therefore,  be  loaned  while  the  reference 
book  may  not,  and  in  a  library  the  reference  book  becomes  one 
reserved  for  reference  use  or  still  more  simply  one  used  for 
reference. 

II.   SELECTION  OF  REFERENCE  BOOKS 

The  reserving  of  books  from  circulation  for  the  sake  of 
reference  is  an  art,  the  process  varying  with  the  users  for  whom 
selection  is  made.  Many  books  made  for  reference  need  not 
be  reserved  from  circulation — old  editions  of  encyclopaedias, 
very  special  dictionaries  or  textbooks  in  demand  at  a  given 
time  by  only  a  single  reader,  and  so  on.  On  the  other  hand 
standard  editions  of  the  great  poets  must,  in  many  libraries, 
be  kept  for  reference.  The  range  of  reserves  in  the  general 
reference  collections  differs  radically  from  that  of  special  collec- 
tions such  as  art  or  music,  or  from  seminar  and  department 


THE  REFERENCE  DEPARTMENT         3 

libraries.  Books  made  for  reference  and  their  matter  disposed 
with  a  view  to  the  finding  of  particular  facts  rather  than  of 
reading  through  include  encyclopaedias,  dictionaries,  year- 
books, almanacs,  indexes  to  periodicals  and  indexed  periodicals, 
directories,  atlases,  bibliographies,  also  aids  and  guides  to 
readers,  etc.  To  these  add  also  textbooks  well  paragraphed 
and  provided  with  captions,  and  all  well-indexed  books. 

The  law  of  selection  of  books  within  these  classes  for  any 
particular  reference  collection  must  first  regard  the  purpose 
of  the  collection,  and  second  lateness  of  publication,  reliability 
and  comprehensiveness.  Information  brought  up  to  date  and 
that  can  be  depended  on  is  the  first  consideration,  but  it  is  the 
out-of-the-way  questions  which  cost  the  most  time,  and  out- 
dated, rather  second-rate  tools  may  cover  many  topics  not 
found  in  the  more  modern  and  more  accurate  but  less  compre- 
hensive books  on  the  same  subject,  and  may  either  serve  the 
purpose  or  point  the  way  to  better  slow-reference  sources,  for 
the  chief  function  of  a  quick-reference  book  is  to  light  the  fuse 
to  a  train  of  research. 

m.      ACTIVITIES  AND  ADMINISTRATION 

The  reference  use  of  a  library  concerns  the  finding  of  books 
and  the  finding  of  facts.  The  finding  of  books,  in  turn,  includes 
the  choice  of  books  for  reading  and  the  choice  of  books  for  the 
finding  of  facts. 

The  first,  commonest,  and  most  important  reference  use 
of  a  library  is  to  find  what  to  read.  Aid  to  this  end  belongs 
to  the  reference,  not  to  the  loan  department,  and  should,  in 
most  libraries,  have  first  attention,  both  in  the  matter  of  the 
collection  of  reference  books  for  the  purpose  and  in  the  personal 
help  of  the  librarian. 

The  second  reference  use  of  a  library  is  to  learn  what  books 
to  use  for  finding  facts.  This  calls  for  a  special  apparatus  of 
books  for  reference  books — bibliographies  of  bibliographies, 


4  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

catalogs  of  reference  libraries  and  systematic  guides  such  as 
Kroeger's. 

The  third  reference  use  of  a  library  is  for  the  finding  of  the 
facts  themselves. 

These  three  uses  require  the  exercise  of  at  least  four  func- 
tions of  administration,  supervision,  personal  advice,  the 
preparation  of  lists  and  the  finding  of  facts.  These  functions 
are  commonly  united  in  one  reference  librarian,  but  in  a  very 
large  library  may  be  distinguished  into  four  divisions,  each 
with  its  own  personnel:  (i)  supervision,  (2)  consultation, 
(3)  bibliography,  and  (4)  research. 

i.  The  supervising  division  of  a  reference  library  concerns 
(a)  the  supervision  of  books  and  apparatus,  and  (b)  the  super- 
vision of  readers. 

(a)  Supervision  of  books  and  apparatus  involves  the  selec- 
tion of  books,  the  replacing  of  old  editions  and  outdated  works 
by  newer  and  better  ones,  the  keeping  of  books  in  order  upon 
the  shelves.    In  respect  of  apparatus  it  implies  the  providing 
of  proper  building  room  for  general  and  special  reference  work. 
This  includes  provision  of  special  rooms  or  quarters  for  special 
reference  libraries,  for  maps,  engravings,  current  periodicals, 
exhibition  books,  also  rooms  for  photographing,  rooms  for  the 
use  of  special  students  who  require  a  large  number  of  books 
and  the  like.    It  means  the  provision  for  and  regulation  of 
ventilation,  light  and  heat,  the  choice  of  furniture  such  as 
desks  and  chairs,  cases  for  exhibition  books,  the  provision  of 
ink  and  paper  and  blotters.     It  involves  disputed  practices 
of  whether  the  reader  shall  be  required  to  return  the  books  to 
the  shelf  or  be  forbidden  to  do  so,  whether  ink  shall  be  pro- 
vided or  forbidden,  whether  children  shall  be  allowed  to  use 
or  forbidden  to  use  certain  books. 

(b)  The  supervision  of  readers  has  to  do  among  other  things 
with  (i)  enforcement  of  rules  of  conduct,  silence,  decorum,  etc., 
(2)  personal  attendance  in  the  use  of  the  stack  or  reserved 


THE  REFERENCE  DEPARTMENT  5 

collections,  (3)  sometimes,  the  collation  of  rare  manuscripts 
or  collections  of  engravings  after  use,  (4)  the  prevention  or 
detection  of  theft,  mutilation,  thumbing,  dogsearing,  or  other 
disfigurement,  (5)  the  taking  of  books  to  the  reader's  seat, 
(6)  the  reserving  of  a  user's  material  from  day  to  day. 

2.  The  consultation  division  of  the  reference  department 
has  to  do  with  the  giving  of  advice  as  to  the  use  of  the  library. 
It  may  involve  also  systematic  instruction  in  use  but  it  is 
chiefly   a   matter   of   individual   question   and   answer.    The 
source  of  this  function  is  commonly  known  as  the  "information 
desk,"  but  this  is  intended  as  information  how  to  find  and  use 
books,  not  information  as  to  facts.    It  is  intended  not  so  much 
to  aid  the  reader  even  in  preparing  reference  lists,  as  to  teach 
him  to  prepare  them  for  himself.    This  division  implies  a 
consulting  librarian  in  the  general  reference  department  and 
one  in  each  of   several  special  reference  libraries,  art,  music, 
law,  medicine,  legislation,  and  the  like.     In  a  very  large  library 
the  consulting  librarian  of  the  general  reference  department 
needs  to  have  one  or  more  assistants  who  may  be  sent  with  an 
inquirer  to  explain  the  catalogs  and  the  method  of  finding  a 
reference. 

3.  The  bibliographical  division  of  the  reference  department 
has  to  do  with  the  preparation  of  lists  as  distinguished  from 
the  personal  conducting  of  the  individual  by  the  consulting 
librarian.    It  includes  in  a  public  library  the  preparation  of 
lists  on  timely  topics  to  attract  the  interest  of  the  general  reader, 
lists  for  study  clubs,  for  school  essays,  debates,  and  the  like. 
In  college  libraries  it  concerns  chiefly  work  in  essays  and 
debates,  aid  to  the  professors  in  selecting  lists  of  collateral 
reading,  the  preparation  of  temporary  collections  to  attract 
to  general  reading,  and  the  like. 

4.  The  research  division  concerns  itself  with  the  answering 
of  letters  or  of  questions  handed  down  by  the  consulting  libra- 
rian as  to  specific  information  regarding  facts  as  distinguished 


6  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

from  information  regarding  the  sources  in  which  these  facts 
may  be  found.  In  most  American  libraries  this  class  of  ques- 
tions concerns  chiefly  matters  of  genealogy  or  local  history 
and  the  source  of  quotations,  but  it  often  concerns  also  tran- 
scripts of  manuscripts  or  printed  authorities  and  many  other 
matters.  Abroad,  matters  of  collation  of  manuscripts,  the 
photographing  of  material  and  a  verification  of  references 
play  a  larger  part.  In  general,  save  for  questions  which  con- 
cern the  individual  institution,  this  work  is  not  looked  on  as 
free  service  but  is  assigned  to  assistants  and  the  work  paid  for. 
In  many  libraries  there  is  a  special  force  which  is  paid  partly 
or  wholly  in  this  way. 

IV.      SYSTEMATIC  INSTRUCTION  IN  THE  USE  OF  REFERENCE  BOOKS 

This  instruction  concerns  reference  books  referring  to  read- 
ing books  (books  on  the  choice  of  books,  books  of  best  books, 
etc.),  reference  books  referring  to  reference  books  and  reference 
books  referring  to  facts.  Properly  speaking,  and  theoretically, 
library  instruction  stops  with  pointing  out  the  books  in  which 
reading  lists,  on  the  one  hand,  and  facts  on  the  other  hand 
may  be  found,  but  practically  instruction  may  be  given  in  the 
methods  of  reading  and  the  methods  of  using  reference  books  to 
find  and  record  the  facts,  as  well. 

Even  quick-reference  books  differ  greatly,  and  only  the 
experienced  user  gets  the  best  and  quickest  use  from  them. 
Material  may,  for  example,  be  arranged  alphabetically  or 
systematically.  Alphabetical  entries  in  turn  are  arranged  in 
different  books  under  different  catch-words  and  these  in  turn 
by  different  rules  of  alphabetization.  Then,  too,  the  tables 
of  contents  and  indexes  differ  in  location  and  arrangement, 
or  the  alphabetical  indexes  are  classified  into  several  special 
indexes.  The  average  man  is  quite  at  sea  regarding  most  of 
these  methods,  and  must  be  not  only  shown  the  books  which 
contain  the  facts,  but  be  shown  how  to  find  the  facts,  just  as 


THE  REFERENCE  DEPARTMENT         7 

he  must  not  only  be  shown  the  library  catalog  and  lists  of 
reference  books  but  be  shown  how  to  find  in  them  the  books 
that  he  wants.  The  usual  and  best  method  of  instruction  is 
individual  personal  guidance  in  the  library.  Some  reference 
librarians  find  it  practical  and  useful  to  take  a  group  of  school 
children  or  college  students,  leading  them  about  the  library 
or  talking  to  them  in  a  room  with  a  table  of  illustrative  books. 
More  systematic  work,  with  library  lectures  on  the  art  of 
reading,  the  choice  of  books  and  the  use  of  reference  books,  is 
sometimes  found  practicable.  It  has  been  found  a  very  useful 
method  to  have  the  librarian  give  talks  on  these  subjects  in 
the  public  schools,  study  clubs,  Y.  M.  C.  A.'s,  the  college  class- 
rooms, and  so  on.  In  a  large  city,  or  a  large  college,  individual 
and  even  group  teaching  is  almost  out  of  the  question  and  it 
has  been  found  very  useful  in  both  of  these  cases  to  enlist  the 
aid  of  the  teacher.  It  seems  generally  agreed  now  that  instruc- 
tion in  the  use  of  a  library,  especially  in  the  art  of  reading,  the 
art  of  using  indexes  and  textbooks,  the  use  of  alphabetical 
captions  and  the  like,  should  be  taught  by  all  teachers  in  all 
grades  through  the  use  of  their  school  libraries.  The  same 
applies  to  the  college  classroom.  Under  this  method  the 
librarian's  chief  concern  is  to  teach  the  teacher,  and  perhaps 
personally  conducted  groups  sent  by  the  teacher,  the  actual 
use  of  books.  The  chief  points  of  instruction  in  the  reference 
use  of  books  are  reading  an  alphabet,  practice  in  alternative 
catch-words,  study  of  the  method  and  scope  of  each  book 
from  prefaces  and  chapter  headings,  cursory  examination, 
practice  in  repeated  handling  of  each  book  for  actual  questions. 

V.      INTER-LIBRARY   REFERENCE 

In  the  libraries  of  higher  research  an  important  function 
of  the  reference  department  is  the  guidance  of  users  to  sources 
not  to  be  found  in  the  home  library;  to  the  library  in  which 
these  sources  may  be  found  and  to  information  whether  and 


8        MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

from  what  source  they  may  be  borrowed  through  the  home 
library. 

The  chief  aids  for  this  function  of  the  reference  department 
are  on  the  one  hand  bibliographies  and  on  the  other  joint  lists 
such  as  the  Chicago,  Boston,  etc.,  lists  of  periodicals.  The 
printed  cards  of  the  Library  of  Congress,  of  the  John  Crerar 
and  Harvard  libraries,  and  all  depositories  of  these  cards  are 
also  important  aids.  The  A.  L.  A.  periodical  cards,  in  con- 
junction with  the  list  of  periodicals  indexed  by  each  of  the 
co-operating  libraries,  is  another  aid  to  what  is  rapidly  develop- 
ing into  one  of  the  most  important  branches  of  reference  work. 

It  belongs  to  the  reference  department  also  to  give  advice 
as  to  what  library  will  be  most  likely  to  have  further  material 
on  the  subject  or  be  able  to  give  further  advice.  The  lists 
of  special  collections  by  Lane  and  Siebert  and  the  like  are  the 
chief  aids  for  this  function  together  with  an  individual  personal 
knowledge  of  other  libraries — a  matter  of  great  importance 
to  the  reference  librarian.  An  important  part  of  the  training 
of  a  reference  librarian  is  thus  his  knowledge  of  other  libraries. 
Lists  of  special  libraries  such  as  the  Commerical  Museum  of 
Philadelphia,  the  various  law,  medical,  and  theological  libraries, 
are  of  considerable  value.  Perhaps  the  most  promising  line 
of  progress  in  reference  work  at  the  present  time  is  the  prepa- 
ration of  joint  lists  of  periodicals  or  serials  in  the  different 
libraries  of  the  same  city  or  region. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Kroeger,  Alice  B.    Guide  to  the  study  and  use  of  reference  books. 

Ed.  2.    Boston,  1908. 

.     Supplement,  1909-1910,  by  Isadora  G.  Mudge.     Chicago, 

A.  L.  A.  Publishing  board,  1911. 

Covers  the  whole  ground  of  this  chapter  bibliographically  in  an 
unusually  complete  way.    To  this  may  be  added  the  appropriate 


THE  REFER'ENJOErniPAfefMti^T:  A  9 

chapters  and  their  bibliographies  in  Brown,  Bostwick,  Dana,  and 

Graesel  as  follows: 

Brown,  James  Duff.  Manual  of  library  economy.  London,  1907. 
(Book  selection,  pp.  141  ff. ;  Reference  library,  pp.  362  ff.;  Read- 
ing-rooms methods,  pp.  371  ff.) 

Dana,  J.  C.    A  library  primer.     Chicago,  1910. 

Reference  books  for  a  small  library,  Reference  work,  Reading 
rooms,  etc. 

Bostwick,  A.  E.  The  American  public  library.  New  York,  1910. 
Reading  and  reference  books,  Library  and  the  child,  etc. 

Graesel,  A.  Handbuch  der  Bibliothekslehre.  Leipzig,  1902.  (Von 
der  Benutzung  innerhalb  des  Bibliotheksgebaeudes,  pp.  408-29.) 
For  bringing  and  keeping  up  to  date,  use  the  Indexes  to  periodi- 
cals, the  Department  on  Library  Economy  in  the  Library  journal, 
and  the  Zentralblatt  fur  Bibliothekswesen.  The  annual  volumes 
prepared  from  the  Zentralblatt  by  Hortzschansky  (Beihefte  29,  31, 
32,  34, 36, 37)  are  most  useful.  Nothing  can  of  course  take  the  place 
of  the  indexes  to  the  various  library  periodicals  on  all  topics.  The 
papers  and  proceedings  of  the  College  and  Reference  section  of  the 
American  library  association  as  published  in  its  proceedings  are 
apt  to  be  the  most  considerable  contribution  each  year  to  the  litera- 
ture of  this  topic. 

In  the  matter  of  selection  of  books  for  the  Reference  Department 
the  lists  of  actual  collections  such  as  those  of  the  John  Crerar  library, 
the  British  Museum,  and  the  Berlin,  Paris,  or  Vienna  libraries  are 
the  best  supplements  to  the  sources  mentioned  in  Kroeger. 

An  admirable  and  interesting  presentation  of  the  means  and 
methods  for  rapid-fire  reference  work  in  public  libraries  is  found  in 
"The  Psychological  Moment"  by  Marilla  Waite  Freeman,  Library 
journal,  February,  1911. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE 

AMERICAN  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 

PUBLISHING  BOARD 

78  E.  WASHINGTON  ST.,  CHICAGO,  ILL, 


Guide  to  reference  books.    Edited  by  Alice  B.  Kroeger.   Revised  and 

enlarged  edition.    Cloth,  $1.50  (postage,  11  cents). 
Literature  of  American  history.     Edited  by  J.  N.  Lamed.     Cloth, 

$6  (postage,  30  cents);  sheep,  $7.50;  |  mor,,  $9. 
Hints  to  Small  Libraries.    By  Mary  W.  Plummer.    Cloth,  75  cents. 
A.  L.  A.  Booklist.  Subject  index,  1905-June,  1910  (v.  1-6).  Paper, 

25  cents. 
Selected  list  of  music  and  books  about  music  for  public  libraries. 

By  Louisa  M.  Hooper.    Paper,  25  cents. 

LISTS   OF   FOBEIGN   BOOKS 
Selected  list  of  Hungarian  books.    Paper,  15  cents. 
Selected  list  of  German  books.    Paper,  50  cents. 
List  of  French  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 
List  of  Norwegian  and  Danish  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 
French  fiction.    Paper,  5  cents. 
List  of  Swedish  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 

LIBRARY   HANDBOOKS 

Intended  to  help  the  librarians  of  small  libraries  in  the  various 
details  of  library  work. 
x.  Essentials  in  library  administration,    By  Miss  L.  E.  Stearns. 

Paper,  15  cents. 

2.  Cataloging  for  small  libraries.     By  Theresa  Hitchler.     Paper, 

15  cents. 

3.  Management  of  traveling  libraries.    By  Edna  D.  Bullock.    Paper, 

15  cents. 

4.  Aids  in  book  selection.      By  Alice  B.  Kroeger,      Paper,  15  cents. 

5.  Binding  for  small  libraries.     Paper,  15  cents.    Suggestions  pre- 

pared by  the  A.  L.  A.  committee  on  bookbinding. 

6.  Mending  and  repair  of  books.    By  Margaret  W.  Brown.     Paper, 

15  cents. 

7.  U.S.  Government  documents  in  small  libraries.    By  J.  I,  Wyer,  Jr. 

Paper,  15  cents. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


DEC  2  9  1864 


LD  21-50m-4,'63 
(D6471slO)476 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


- 


251689 


25m-6,'12 


